Britannica Sources used in this answer

What happened at Black Kettle’s camp on the Washita River in 1868?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Plains Wars View of the army camp at Hidden Wood Creek during Lieut. Col. George Armstrong Custer's Black Hills expedition, 1874; photograph by W.H. Illingworth.

On November 27, 1868, Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer led the 7th U.S. Cavalry in a surprise attack against a Southern Cheyenne encampment located on the Washita River in present-day Oklahoma.12

The village was led by the chief Black Kettle, who had previously survived the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre and was known for his efforts to secure peace. During the assault, Black Kettle and scores of his followers were killed. While the engagement was considered the U.S. Army's first major victory over Southern Plains tribes following the Civil War, it remains controversial because the majority of those killed are believed to have been women, children, and older individuals rather than warriors. This attack was part of a broader military strategy overseen by Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan to force scattered bands of Native Americans onto reservations during the winter months.341